Trendy fashion retailer Zara is making its NC debut in Charlotte, report says

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was updated June 18, 2024, to reflect an updated opening time frame and mall update.

A trendy Spanish women’s retailer is expanding to North Carolina with plans to debut at a Charlotte mall.

Zara will open at SouthPark mall by 2026, SouthPark mall officials confirmed Monday, June 17, 2024. The Charlotte Observer reported in March 2023 that Zara would debut in Charlotte in 2025, according to reports from Insider online publication.

Behind Zara plans

Here’s what Insider said about the plans:

▪ The Charlotte store is one of 30 planned new stores, relocations or renovations in the U.S., Zara parent company Inditex CEO Óscar García Maceiras told investors Wednesday.

▪ Inditex will invest 1.6 billion euros, about $1.7 billion, expanding stores and warehouses worldwide, including at least 10 new locations across the U.S.

▪ Last year, store sales jumped 23% across Inditex brands, including Zara.

▪ Zara has less than 100 stores in the U.S.

Trendy fast-fashion brand

The fast-fashion company, like competitor H&M that opened its first Charlotte store 10 years ago at Carolina Place Mall, are known for replicating recent high-fashion designs and mass producing them at a low cost. H&M has two other locations in Charlotte at SouthPark and Northlake malls.

The closest Zara stores are in Atlanta with two locations.

This story was originally published March 17, 2023 at 12:36 PM.